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The Thief’s Story

8 mins
The Thief’s Story Class 10 English
Table of Contents
Footprints without Feet - This article is part of a series.
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Summary of “The Thief’s Story”
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“The Thief’s Story” is narrated by a fifteen-year-old thief who uses a false name, Hari Singh. He considers himself an experienced and fairly successful hand at stealing. The story begins with him meeting a young man named Anil, who is about 25, tall, lean, easy-going, kind, and simple. The narrator approaches Anil with flattery to try and get into his confidence. He asks Anil for work.

Anil says he cannot pay him, but asks if he can cook. The narrator lies and says he can cook. Anil then agrees to feed him if he can cook and takes him to his room above the Jumna Sweet Shop. The meal the narrator cooks is terrible, and Anil gives it to a stray dog and tells the narrator to leave, but the narrator hangs around and Anil laughs and agrees to teach him to cook. Anil also teaches him to write his name and promises to teach him to write whole sentences and add numbers. The narrator is grateful, knowing that becoming educated would open up opportunities for him.

Working for Anil is pleasant. The narrator makes tea in the morning and buys the day’s supplies, usually making a small profit. Anil seems to know about the small thefts but doesn’t mind. Anil makes money intermittently, worrying about cheques but celebrating when they arrive, and he writes for magazines. One evening, Anil comes home with a bundle of notes after selling a book and puts the money under his mattress.

The narrator has been working for Anil for almost a month and hasn’t stolen from him, despite having ample opportunity as Anil is the most trusting person he has met and gave him a key to the door. The narrator finds it difficult to rob a careless man like Anil, reflecting that while it’s easy to rob a greedy man, robbing a careless one takes away the pleasure because they might not even notice. He decides it’s time to do “some real work” and justifies stealing the money by thinking Anil would waste it and doesn’t even pay him.

One night, while Anil is asleep, the narrator steals the money (600 rupees in fifties) from under the mattress. He runs to the station planning to catch a train to Lucknow, but hesitates for some reason and misses the train. Alone on the platform, he reflects on how different people react to being robbed (greedy show fear, rich show anger, poor show acceptance), but Anil would show sadness for the loss of trust. He gets caught in the rain, and the money gets wet. He realises that by stealing the money, he has lost the opportunity to learn to read and write, which could bring him more than money in the long run. He decides to return to Anil to learn.

He returns nervously and slips the wet notes back under the mattress undetected. The next morning, Anil gives him a fifty-rupee note, saying he made some money and will pay him regularly. The note is still wet. Anil announces they will start writing sentences that day. The narrator realises Anil knew about the theft, but Anil shows no sign of this knowledge. The narrator smiles at Anil, and the smile comes naturally.

Questions and Answers
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Here are the questions from the chapter and their answers, drawn from the provided sources:

Read and Find Out
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  • Who does ‘I’ refer to in this story? ‘I’ refers to the narrator. The narrator later tells Anil his name is Hari Singh, although he admits this is a lie and he takes a new name every month.
  • What is he “a fairly successful hand” at? He is “a fairly successful hand” at being a thief.
  • What does he get from Anil in return for his work? In return for his work, he gets food, a place to sleep (on the balcony), and Anil teaches him how to cook, how to write his name, and says he will soon teach him to write whole sentences and to add numbers. He later gets paid a fifty-rupee note and is promised regular pay.

Read and Find Out

  • How does the thief think Anil will react to the theft? The thief thinks Anil’s face, when he discovered the theft, would show only a touch of sadness. This sadness would be not for the loss of money, but for the loss of trust.
  • What does he say about the different reactions of people when they are robbed? He says that when people are robbed, the greedy man shows fear, the rich man shows anger, and the poor man shows acceptance.
  • Does Anil realise that he has been robbed? Yes, based on the source, Anil does realise that he has been robbed. The narrator notes that the fifty-rupee note Anil gives him the next morning is still wet from the rain. Although Anil does not mention the theft, when he says they will start writing sentences that day, the narrator thinks, “He knew”.

Think About It
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  • 1. What are Hari Singh’s reactions to the prospect of receiving an education? Do they change over time? What makes him return to Anil? Initially, Hari Singh is grateful when Anil offers to teach him. He knows that once he could write like an educated man, there would be no limit to what I could achieve. His reaction focuses on the broad potential of education. His thoughts seem to change slightly when he considers the theft; he reflects that learning “Whole sentences, I knew, could one day bring me more than a few hundred rupees”, comparing this to the simple act of stealing or the potential of becoming “a really big man, a clever and respected man”. This suggests a shift towards viewing education pragmatically in terms of monetary gain, though also seeing it as a path to respectability. He returns to Anil because, after stealing the money and reflecting on what he has lost, he tells himself he should go back if only to learn to read and write.
  • 2. Why does not Anil hand the thief over to the police? Do you think most people would have done so? In what ways is Anil different from such employers? The provided sources do not explicitly state why Anil does not hand the thief over to the police. However, the story implies his kind and trusting nature and his focus on the loss of trust rather than money are factors. The question asks for a reader’s opinion on whether most people would call the police, which is not answered in the text. Anil is different from other employers shown or implied in the story through his exceptional trust in the narrator, his willingness to teach him despite being cheated, and his apparent forgiveness or understanding upon discovering the theft. He prioritises teaching and reforming the narrator over punishment or reclaiming the stolen money.

Talk About It
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  • 1. This episode describes the silly behaviour of a rich woman who is foolishly indulgent, perhaps because she is lonely. Do you think such people are merely silly, or can their actions cause harm to others? (Note: This question primarily relates to “A Triumph of Surgery”, but the sources include it here.) Drawing from the “A Triumph of Surgery” source, Mrs. Pumphrey’s actions are described as “silly behaviour of a rich woman who is foolishly indulgent”. The source also asks if such actions can cause harm. Based on the plot of “A Triumph of Surgery”, her overindulgence does cause harm to Tricki, leading to his serious illness.
  • 2. Do you think there are also parents like Mrs. Pumphrey? (Note: This question asks for reflection not directly answered in the source text.) The question asks for a reader’s opinion based on the theme of overindulgence seen with Mrs. Pumphrey.
  • 3. What would you have done if you were: (i) a member of the staff in Mrs Pumphrey’s household, (ii) a neighbour? What would your life have been like, in general? (Note: This question relates to “A Triumph of Surgery” and asks for imaginative response not directly answered in the source text.) The “A Triumph of Surgery” sources mention Mrs. Pumphrey’s staff bringing Tricki’s extensive belongings and being upset when he leaves. They appear accustomed to her demands related to the dog. A neighbour is not explicitly mentioned in the text.
  • 4. What would you have done if you were in the narrator’s place? (Note: This question asks for imaginative response not directly answered in the source text.) The source describes the narrator’s actions: becoming a thief, lying, seeking work, stealing from Anil, regretting the loss of educational opportunity, and returning the money to learn.
  • Where is the story set? (You can get clues from the names of the persons and places mentioned in it.) Which language or languages are spoken in these places? Do you think the characters in the story spoke to each other in English? The story is set in a place in India. Clues come from the names like Anil, Hari Singh, Lucknow Express, Jumna Sweet Shop, maidan, and bazaar. An Indian term “Pitaji” is used. Based on the names and terms, it is highly likely that the characters were speaking an Indian language, such as Hindi or a regional variation, rather than English. The dialogue is presented in English for the reader.
Footprints without Feet - This article is part of a series.
Part 2: This Article